To Court a Lady
by Jo-Anne Storm
Summary: After a blow-up, Josh gets permission to date Donna.
1. A Good Day

Author: Jo-Anne Storm  
  
Title: To Court a Lady  
  
Rating: PG-13 for a few choice words  
  
Disclaimer: The West Wing and all its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Production, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Spoilers: Up through Season 4.  
  
Summery: After a blow-up, Josh gets permission to date Donna.  
  
Notes: OK, I'll admit it, I'm tired of stories that have Josh and Donna just hopping into the relationship head first. I don't think they would. Even if they did start a romantic relationship, I think they'd take it slow. So, this is kinda my answer to how the relationship could start. I may continue it someday, I may not. It kinda depends on what happens in the new season.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It happened one week after Zoey Bartlett was returned to the arms of her family. Only ten days after her nightmarish kidnapping. As with most blowups, it started innocently enough: two staffers, each having been awake for over 36 hours working on the situations in Qumar and Kundu had collapsed together on a couch in the Mural Room. Josh Lyman was slumped in the corner of the couch, his arms around the body of his assistant, Donna Moss, as she used his chest as a pillow.  
  
President pro tempore Walken found them found them like that as he toured his temporary, and hopefully future, domain. His deep voice carried his bellows of outrage throughout the West Wing, bringing Secret Service Agents and staffers running and waking the sleeping couple from their much-needed rest.  
  
The agents, for their part, immediately took in the situation and relaxed. The Lyman-Moss relationship was one they were used to observing from their posts around the Wing. Their friendship in no way threatened the President pro tempore.  
  
The staffers, from as low as the Communications interns that had been Will Bailey's only staff for a couple of weeks to as high as Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, were not as blasé as the agents. Especially once they got close enough to distinguish the content of the bellows.  
  
"Go back to the room," Will commanded his sister and interns as he entered the Mural room behind his immediate supervisor Toby Zeigler. Charlie Young and Debbie Fiderer, the President's personal staff, trailed in after him as CJ Cregg, Press Secretary, rounded the corner and skidded into the room.  
  
"Good God in Heaven!" Walken was yelling as they arranged themselves around the room. CJ felt a brief flash of relief when she saw an agent close the door to muffle the noise that might travel to the press.  
  
"No wonder this administration has gone to Hell in a handbasket. This entire staff has thrown decent Christian values out the window."  
  
"Sir-" Josh tried to interrupt, only to be plowed over by Walken.  
  
"A Chief of Staff who's admitted to being an addict! A Deputy Chief that not only is in therapy but can't get anything done because he's too busy piddling with his secretary!"  
  
By this point both Charlie and Donna had restraining hands on the visibly enraged Josh, who was not known for holding his temper. Donna was talking quietly, trying to calm him down, only to come to the further attention of the President pro tempore for her troubles.  
  
"I will not have the Whore of Babylon in this office," he snarled. "I don't know why this administration has allowed this amorality to continue. McGarry, are you trying to balance the scales by allowing more Jewish bastards into the White House?"  
  
Will could feel the trembles of rage coming from Toby and wondered if he would be strong enough to keep the larger man from physically attacking the man that was verbally attacking his family and friends. He, along with the other staffers, opened his mouth to retort when a low and serious voice spoke from the doorway.  
  
President Bartlett had been coming to see his best friend and Chief of Staff to inform him of his decision to hold off of reclaiming his position for another week, just to make certain that he was both emotionally and physically recovered from the horror that had occurred. The bellows from his replacement had drawn him to the Mural Room and he had been shocked to hear what Walken had to say.  
  
"That is enough," he intoned, stepping further into the room and allowing the agent to close the door once again. "You are out of line, Mr. Walken."  
  
Walken rounded on the president and snarled. "I can talk to my staff in any way I please, Mr. President. As of this moment, they are all fired."  
  
None of those present were particularly surprised by the pronouncement. Walken had repeatedly tried to bring in his own staff during his short residency. They all knew it was a ploy to gain power. A dangerous move given the state of the world at that very moment.  
  
"No, Sir," the President told him coldly. "President pro tempore Glen Allen Walken, I hereby inform you that you are relieved of your duties. Get out of my building."  
  
Walken straightened his immense girth and coldly eyed the President and Senior Staff. Without a word he strode to the door and exited the room, the sound of his shoes echoing through the still corridors.  
  
"Leo, where's that damn letter? I need to sign it to make sure that idiot doesn't try to take over."  
  
Leo produced a copy of the letter from his jacket pocket, where he had taken to carrying one just in case. He wanted his old friend to be able to retake his position the instant he was ready and willing.  
  
"CJ," the President continued as he signed the letter with a flourish. "Go tell the press." He exited the Mural Room, Charlie and Debbie trailing behind him, both wearing looks of triumph and relief.  
  
"OK, people, let's get to work," Leo told the assembled staff. "Toby, Will, hash out comments for CJ to give to the press. You have ten minutes. CJ, go inform everyone that there's a briefing in half an hour. That will give the networks time to pick it up, right?"  
  
"The networks have been on standby since. The whole time. I can do the briefing just as soon as I have the comments in my hand."  
  
Leo nodded and the three named staffers hurried from the room, talking over one another in their rush to get their ideas across.  
  
"Leo," Josh started, only to take a deep breath in an effort to unclench his jaw and rein in his emotions. Donna rubbed his arm gently as he took several more deep breaths and was finally awarded with the slight loosening of the muscles.  
  
"What the Hell happened in here?"  
  
"Nothing! Donna and I fell asleep on the couch and that-that- Did you hear what he said to us?"  
  
"Everybody heard what he said to you. Donna, I need to talk to Josh alone for a moment. Could you wait in his office please?" Off her concerned look he gentled his voice and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Neither one of you are in trouble. I know you both too well to know that you wouldn't do anything unprofessional. Have Margaret bring you some coffee or something, OK?"  
  
"Yes, sir," she said and hurried out the door, only glancing back to give Josh a worried look.  
  
"Sit down, son," Leo said quietly and gestured towards the couch that had started the entire ruckus. He settled himself into a chair and regarded his deputy and friend seriously.  
  
"Walken's going to make problems," the younger man said seriously as he ran his hands through his already wild hair. "He's going to have every Right Wing fanatic thinking that the White House is staffed by amoral sex fiends."  
  
"CJ, Toby, and Will are working on it. We'll deal with it. What I want to know is how you're doing."  
  
Josh sighed and shrugged. "I've had about two hours of sleep and that was only because I couldn't keep my eyes open a second longer. I've just been verbally attacked by a bigoted imbecile and almost lost my job. Even worse, Donna was attacked by self-same imbecile and her job was threatened. I'm peachy."  
  
"Good to know," Leo chuckled. "Seriously, though, how are you?"  
  
"Honestly, I'm good. I've talked to Keyworth a couple of times since Zoey was taken. And Donna made me call him after the Press Room was shot at. I haven't had an attack, or even a bad nightmare, in over a month. I'm due one."  
  
"After today, you definitely are." Leo considered the man he had watched grow into adulthood for a moment. Just looking at him reminded him of the child who had hid behind his father's legs when they were first introduced. At times Josh still showed a hint of that shy little boy, though he covered it well with his brashness.  
  
"Josh. About Donna."  
  
"I'm not having an affair with my assistant."  
  
"Hell, don't you think I know that? You have the worst poker face in politics; if you were having an affair with her there's no way you'd be able to keep it to yourself. No, I know your relationship is strictly platonic.  
  
"Josh, I want to ask you something. Not as your boss, not as the Chief of Staff, but as an old friend of your father's and as your friend. You don't want your relationship with Donna to be platonic, do you?"  
  
The look on Josh's face before he turned his attention to the floor was enough to answer his question and many more.  
  
"You know, since my alcoholism was outed, it's not the worst kept secret on the Hill anymore, obviously. Your feelings for Donna are."  
  
Josh looked up, his face frozen in a "deer in the headlights" look. "I won't let you fire her," he stated vehemently. "And you can't assign her somewhere else."  
  
"Do I look that stupid? I know that without Donna to run your office you'd be useless. How in the Hell did you ever make it without her?"  
  
"I averaged an assistant every six months," Josh confessed sheepishly. "After that they burned out from the long hours and impossible demands."  
  
"And Donna's lasted five years? We're not paying that woman enough."  
  
Josh smiled ruefully. "So, what now?"  
  
"Now, as your employer I'm supposed to tell you to keep it together for another four years because the administration doesn't need any more flak. Especially not a sex scandal, not after the thing with Toby and Andi. We're going to have enough trouble recovering from this as it is."  
  
Josh nodded, resigned to the fact that he could possibly never have the relationship he wanted with Donna.  
  
"I do think that we're due a good love story, though," he continued, surprising his deputy. "Which is why you're not going to. What's Donna call it?"  
  
"Bump into a woman sideways and wait for her to break up with me."  
  
"Exactly. You're going to do this right. You're going to start by taking her out to dinner at a nice restaurant. You will do things like hold her hand in public and escort her to political functions. You will treat her with the respect and courtesy that she deserves. She's your best friend, Josh, and I'm not going to allow you to screw that up."  
  
"There will be talk," the younger man pointed out.  
  
"Not from anyone who knows you. Like I said, your feelings for her are the worst kept secret on the Hill. Sure, small-minded people like Mary Marsh will comment on it and probably scream sexual harassment and impropriety, but really, do we care what she thinks?"  
  
"I wasn't just talking about here. Donna's already gotten threats just for working for me. When this goes public, the threats will escalate."  
  
Leo nodded in understanding. "I'll tell Ron to keep an extra eye on Donna's mail. She knows-"  
  
"Yeah. She's the one who forced the issue with CJ. Sir. Are you sure about this?"  
  
Leo smiled at him. "Josh, do you think this thing with Donna could be the real thing?"  
  
"Yes, I do," he answered unhesitatingly.  
  
"Then, yes, I'm sure. Now, go back to work and start planning on how you're going to court that lovely lady."  
  
"'Court,' Leo? Do people still use that word in association with relationships?"  
  
"Get outta here," the elder man smiled as Josh shook his hand and rushed from the room, no doubt to reassure Donna that they were not in trouble.  
  
With a lighter heart, Leo left the room and made his way to the Oval Office. Today was shaping up to be a good day." 


	2. Bad Taste in Men

Author: Jo-Anne Storm  
  
Title: To Court a Lady  
  
Rating: PG-13 for a few choice words  
  
Disclaimer: The West Wing and all its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Production, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Spoilers: Up through Season 4.  
  
Summery: After a blow-up, Josh gets permission to date Donna.  
  
Notes: I should point out here that in spite of this section of the story, I really did like Jack. This is just something that popped into my head at some point during the last season. I'm not really sure why.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The last three weeks had been a mixture of both Heaven and Hell for Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman. Not only was the West Wing recovering from the fallout of the kidnapping of Zoey Bartlet and President Bartlet's subsequent decision to temporarily resign his power, but also from the announcement that the kidnapping was retribution for the earlier assassination of a high ranking Qumari diplomat and terrorist. Adding to the burden of the press frenzy that the announcement had instigated was the President's appointee to the position of Vice President, an appointee that had almost no chance of being confirmed by Congress but that Josh was determined to have in office.  
  
The struggle to get Leo McGarry to accept the nomination was Hell in and of itself. An admitted alcoholic and drug addict, Leo was perfectly happy serving at the pleasure of the president as White House Chief of Staff. He was doing what he believed in and was supporting his best friend at the same time.  
  
Josh, however, saw it as a golden opportunity to improve the quality of their government. He didn't want to go back to the constant power struggle that had been in effect for the last five years of the Bartlet administration. Vice President Hoynes had toed the party line in public and fought for every scrap of power in private.  
  
Still, Hoynes was a good man, a good politician. Josh hadn't wanted the man to resign despite the scandal that his remaining in office would have caused. He still held a certain amount of loyalty to his former employer. He was just more loyal to the President.  
  
Leo had finally accepted the nomination though, much to the staff's relief. Even now he was in the Senate Committee Hearings, answering questions about every grade he had ever received in college or every mission he had ever flown for the Air Force. The combined Senior Staff and banded together to insure that he would be approved, and if it took a miracle, then that's what Josh would pull off.  
  
Now though, with Leo tied up in the hearings, he was staffing the president. Which, much to his dismay, meant he had to review the situations in both Qumar and Kundu. That was why he was in the Situation Room at an ungodly hour reading reports that were months old.  
  
If his professional life was Hell, his personal life was definitely Heaven on Earth. Following the advice of his mentor, friend, and hopefully the next Vice President, Josh had begun to date Donna Moss. They had had five dates over the past three weeks and Josh was rather pleased with the progress. The fact that they had found the time to date at all was a minor miracle considering the level of stress that was in evidence around the office.  
  
His assistant, who had managed to last for five plus years, a new record, had done a bang-up job at scheduling a few hours a week for him to have a personal life. She had a vested interest in the subject after all, considering that she was his girlfriend.  
  
"Eat dinner with me tonight?" he had said the first time he had asked her out. The inflection of his voice made the statement a question.  
  
"So we can go over the thing?" she said, not looking up from her computer. "Sure. Which take out place do you want?"  
  
"I was thinking Luigi's."  
  
"They say that the mind is the first thing to go, you know. You're showing your age, I think. Luigi's doesn't deliver."  
  
He shifted nervously from foot to foot. It was obvious that she thought he was demanding that they share a working dinner, as they often did. He knew he was no good with relationships. Hell, everyone knew he was no good with relationships, but surely he wasn't wrong about Donna's feelings for him.  
  
"I wasn't suggesting take out."  
  
"Well, we can't take work to Luigi's, Josh. There's not enough room at those tables to spread out. Besides, Luigi's is more of a date place than a work place."  
  
"Yeah, I noticed that."  
  
She finally looked up from her work and frowned at him. "So you actually want to take time out of your busy schedule to eat a decent dinner? Josh, the president just resumed office yesterday. I'm shocked that you are even acknowledging the need for food and sleep."  
  
"Well, I am," he muttered.  
  
"OK. So, we'll go down to the mess for dinner. Or, if you just want to get out of the building, we'll pop over to that café you like. Luigi's is too nice for a working dinner."  
  
"Which is exactly why I want to go to Luigi's."  
  
The frown returned to her face. "I. I. Josh?"  
  
"I'm not demanding that you work through dinner tonight. I'm asking you to go to dinner. With me. At Luigi's."  
  
"Josh. I."  
  
"See, the thing. You know, don't you?"  
  
"I know?" she whispered.  
  
"That I'm not good at this. That I'm a power dater. I'm hit and run."  
  
"Yeah, I know that."  
  
"But. I don't want to power date you."  
  
Her face scrunched up a bit in disappointment. "You."  
  
"I want to court you. Silly word, I know. But it's appropriate, I think. I want to have something more than a thing." He glanced down at the floor, disconcerted by trying to talk about the feelings that were a knot in his chest.  
  
"So. Have dinner with me tonight? At Luigi's, or any other restaurant you like. No work. Just you and me."  
  
He was almost afraid to look back up at her and so glanced at her through his lashes. She was standing stock still, her mouth gaping open.  
  
"Donna?"  
  
Wordlessly she turned and reached for the phone. He felt a flash of panic that she was calling whomever it was that women called when they started sexual harassment proceedings. He held his breath as she punched in a number, only breathing again when he heard the words that would possibly change his life.  
  
"Yes, I'd like to make reservations for two tonight. Eight o'clock is fine. Joshua Lyman."  
  
After she had hung up and carefully made a notation in her planner, he gave her a shaky smile and retreated into his office.  
  
That night, once they had gotten past the nerves inherent in a first date, they had remembered that they were Josh and Donna. The same Donna who had taken over his life in New Hampshire. The same Josh who bellowed for coffee without ever expecting it to appear. The Josh and Donna who worked as if they were equal parts of a whole.  
  
"So, I never did ask you," he had asked during desert. "Why did you assign yourself to me?"  
  
She had laughed a little ruefully. "Hotel. The old TV show with Connie Seleca and James Brolin. In the first episode she hires herself to be his assistant or something like that. I thought it had panache."  
  
"So, you just chose an office at random and started working? You could have ended up working for Toby?"  
  
"Yes. Well, no." She frowned slightly as she played with her slice of French Silk Pie. "I chose your cubicle because of your name."  
  
"My name?" he pressed when she seemed reluctant to continue.  
  
"You have to remember where I was in that point in my life, Josh. I had just broken up with-"  
  
"Dr. Freeride, yes."  
  
"And I really wasn't looking for any type of relationship."  
  
"My name?"  
  
"Dr. Freeride's name is Josh," she said in a rush.  
  
Josh quickly swallowed the mouthful of water he had taken while she talked. "So, let me get this straight: you chose me to latch onto because of Dr. Joshua Freeride?"  
  
"It was meant to be cleansing," she defended herself. "I thought, if I could stand up to you, not let you push me around, then if the time ever came, I could do the same with him."  
  
"You used me as a substitute?" he squeaked.  
  
"Wow, your voice got really high right then."  
  
"Donnatella!"  
  
"I never said it worked. Pretty much the opposite, in fact."  
  
"What?"  
  
"So, anyway, I refused to let you order me around-"  
  
"You're job is to let me order you around," he pointed out.  
  
"Well, yes. But I didn't let you manipulate me the way he always did. I refused to bring you coffee or let you push me around. I always called you on it if you forgot how valuable I actually am to you."  
  
"You did," he acknowledged with a fond smile. "So, I'm trying to wrap my mind around this. You're the person I know today because of a TV show and the coincidence that Dr. Freeride and I share the same name?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"We don't share any other characteristics, do we? Because, I gotta say, if we do, I'm going to change them right away."  
  
She laughed. "No. Beyond the name, the two of you couldn't be more different."  
  
He gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Thank God." He took a bite of his apple pie before asking his next question. "So, why did you leave me?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"During the campaign. You left me to go back to Josh Freeride."  
  
"His last name is Haute."  
  
Josh paused for a moment to take in this information. "Joshua Haute. Ya know, I'm just going to leave that one alone."  
  
"Please do."  
  
"Why'd you go back to him?"  
  
"I thought he was the love of my life," she confessed, her face slightly red.  
  
"You don't still think that, do you?"  
  
She could tell he was worried about her answer just from the sound of his voice. A quick glance at his face confirmed her assessment.  
  
"No."  
  
"Good. Because then I'd have to have him audited or something."  
  
"Josh! You can't go throwing your weight around like that!"  
  
"Why not? I'm the third most powerful man in the country. If I can't use my aw-inspiring power for good, what use am I?"  
  
"'With great power comes great responsibility,'" she chided him with a smile.  
  
"And my responsibility is to take care of you."  
  
That night he had left her at her door with a kiss on the cheek. As he had stood beneath her window, waiting for the light to come on, he had thought fondly back to the night of the Inauguration and the snowballs he had lobbed at her window in order to get her attention. He had thought it was a grand romantic gesture. She had thought it was silly that he didn't just use his ever-present cell phone to call her.  
  
The morning after their first date was a bit awkward. Neither knew exactly how to balance their personal and professional lives. Josh had dashed around, politely asking for files and reports. Donna had silently handed each folder to him before beating a hasty retreat back to her desk.  
  
The break in the tension finally came after lunch, when a stressed and frazzled Josh couldn't find a report on media censorship he was supposed to be reviewing. He instinctively yelled for his ever-efficient assistant.  
  
"Donna!"  
  
"It's in your backpack," she yelled back.  
  
"Donna! I need the-"  
  
"It's in your backpack," she reiterated as she appeared in his doorway.  
  
"The censorsh-"  
  
Giving an exasperated sigh, she crossed to his beloved backpack and produced the file he needed. "You have exactly half an hour before you have to leave for the Hill. You meeting with Skinner has been moved to tomorrow."  
  
As easy as that, one bellow for a file, and they were back on track.  
  
Their second date went as well as their first. This time they attended an embassy ball. It was work for him, since he still had to smooze the politicians scattered about the room, but he never once asked Donna to do anything related to work. He once caught her reaching for her ever-present planner when one congresswoman requested a meeting, only to look at him in shock when he grasped her hand and informed the congresswoman that she would have to call his office in the morning to set up an appointment. He even admonished her not to call before seven because he had given his assistant the night off and fully expected her to enjoy the evening.  
  
After that he pulled her onto the dance floor and waltzed her around the room. They danced the same way they worked, in perfect harmony. He left her that night with another kiss on the cheek and a quiet thank you for being her.  
  
He shook himself out of his memories, content that although they had not progressed past chaste kisses that their relationship was going well. For their third date they picnicked in the Mall. By some miracle, she managed to get him to sit still long enough to watch a movie in an actual theater for their fourth outing. Their fifth date, which had only been the night before, had been another political function. Afterwards they walked through the Arboretum hand in hand. She had teased him about his dislike of the outdoors and he had told her about Charlie and Zoey's grand romantic gesture of sharing a bottle of wine together.  
  
With a sigh, he returned to the reports in font of him. Nancy McNally had had one of her aids weed out all the reports that were too out of date for them to be important. Never-the-less, it was still quite an impressive pile.  
  
Abruptly, he realized that he had read half of the three page report without actually raking any of it in. He decided that it was a good time for a break and made his way to the coffee pot. The coffee, of course, was cold and bitter. He dumped it out after his first swallow and made a new pot. He briefly considered going home, or at least to a room with a couch, and catching a few hours of sleep, but dismissed the idea as a pipe dream. If he were lucky he would be able to catch a power nap when the president had a few peaceful moments. Tonight was blown as far as sleep went.  
  
Fresh coffee in hand, he returned to his seat and once again opened up the report on the projected strength of the Kundu military. He was only half- way down the page when he suddenly sat up straight and relinquished his grip on his coffee mug.  
  
Muttering an oath under his breath, he set the report to the side and rapidly skimmed through the reports waiting to be read, silently thanking his father for teaching him speed reading techniques when he announced his intention to study law. Within a few minutes he had sorted another two reports out of the pile, one on a terrorist training camp in Qumar and one on the weaponry another insurgence force was suspected to have.  
  
"Lieutenant!" he called to the officer of duty, bringing the man running into the room.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"What time is Dr. McNally supposed to get here?"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"What time is Dr. McNally supposed to get here?" he repeated, his voice filled with barely suppressed fury.  
  
"Six, sir."  
  
A quick glance at his watch, then another at the clock on the wall to get the correct time, informed him of the fact that it was only three.  
  
"Call her. Tell her I need to see her as soon as possible."  
  
"Sir, should I call the other Joint Chiefs?"  
  
"No, just McNally. Tell her to meet me in my office." With that, he grabbed up the three reports and stormed out of the Sit Room. Sleep was a distant thought.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Nancy arrived an hour later, amazingly looking as put together as she always did. "I was woken up from a very good dream," she told him as she strode through the door. "A dream, I might point out, that featured Keith Hamilton Cobb wearing very little. What is so important?"  
  
"Sit down," Josh said, motioning to his visitor's chair. Once she had settled herself, he continued. "So, I was looking through these old reports tonight and found a few the just jumped out at me."  
  
He handed her the reports he had brought with him and waited not-so- patiently while she skimmed through them.  
  
"Yeah, they're reports. Not even particularly sensitive reports or ones that make a difference to the current situation."  
  
"Do you happen to know who wrote them?"  
  
"Joshua Lyman, if you drug me in here to talk about reports I swear I will beat you to within an inch of your life."  
  
"Just bare with me," he soothed.  
  
She looked skeptical but glanced at the reports once again. "Let's see. November to early January. I assume the reason you're so interested in these is because they have the same author. I'm going to hazard a guess and say Commander Jack Reese."  
  
"That's what I thought you would say." Getting up he went to the file cabinet and extracted a few folders. Within were the notes that Donna had put together on various subjects. He picked folders at random, neither caring about the content of the report nor Donna's "distinctive" filing system.  
  
"These are reports Donna has done for me over the years," he said, handing them over.  
  
Nancy skimmed the first report silently, her brow furrowed in confusion. It was only when she was partway through the second one that she realized what he was trying to tell her.  
  
"God, Josh. What clearance does Donna have?"  
  
"Secret. Nancy, you have to promise me-"  
  
"I can't, not yet. I have to see all the briefings he ever submitted first."  
  
"Nancy-"  
  
"I know, Josh. I know," she said as she stood and strode from the room, once again leaving him in silence.  
  
She came back in his office at the stroke of six, her face a mask.  
  
"I have good news." Josh looked up from the report he was skimming and her mask slipped into a look of sympathy at the wild look in his eye. "As far as I can tell, the highest report she saw was Secret. Which means that there's no grounds for treason or espionage. However, it also means that we can't pin either charge on him."  
  
"What happens now?"  
  
"Now, I take this to Leo and the president. Reese will be quietly reassigned to a dead-end assignment or asked for his resignation. What happens to Donna will depend on them."  
  
He nodded resignedly and led her to Leo's office. While it was still at least an hour before the rest of the staff would start to appear, Josh knew that Leo would be in his office, dealing with issues that might have come up while he was being interrogated by Congress.  
  
"Come," he called when Josh rapped on his closed door. He looked up from the report he had been reading and took in the expressions of his two visitors.  
  
"Oh, God. What's going on now?"  
  
"Josh was going through old reports," Nancy explained. "And came across something disturbing."  
  
"Old reports? Kundu and Qumar? Did you find a connect between them or something?"  
  
"Worse," Josh muttered, running an agitated hand through his hair. "You remember Jack Reese?"  
  
"Yeah, the guy Donna dated for awhile."  
  
"We have evidence that he had Donna write several of the briefs he presented," Nancy said.  
  
"April Fool's Day has already passed, Josh," Leo stated before fully taking in their expressions. "You're not kidding, are you? How bad is it?"  
  
"It could be worse. As I explained to Josh, Donna didn't see any documents that were marked higher than her clearance. She could still face an inquisition."  
  
"And Reese?"  
  
"Conduct unbecoming. He gets filed away in some backwoods base and is never heard from again."  
  
"He doesn't get discharged?"  
  
"Too many connections," she explains. "As soon as he realizes his career is over, he'll probably quietly resign."  
  
"Josh?"  
  
Josh made a frustrated sound. "I can't believe she knew anything about this, Leo. I don't know why she would have written them, but I just can't think that she purposely let him pass her work off as his own. Donna takes too much pride in herself, in her work."  
  
"Nancy?"  
  
"I just don't know, Leo. It's not a decision I feel I can make. Technically, she did nothing wrong, except for being a bit naïve."  
  
"Which she seems to make a habit of. Get her in here first thing, Josh."  
  
"She'll be in in about an hour. I'll be at her desk waiting for her."  
  
"Good. After I talk to her, we'll decide what to do."  
  
"Leo," Nancy cautioned. "Are you sure you're the one who should be making this decision? Reese's commanding officer should have a say in this."  
  
"He will. I just want to talk to Donna before taking this to the president."  
  
Both left the room quietly.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Josh was indeed waiting for Donna as she got to her desk, an occurrence which prompted a smile from her.  
  
"Hey. What are you doing here so early?"  
  
"We have to go see Leo," he said shortly.  
  
"Josh?"  
  
"I can't talk about, Donna. We have to go see Leo."  
  
She gave him a worried look but deposited her purse in her desk drawer and followed him to Leo's office. She shifted nervously as they waited for his command to enter and became even more uncomfortable in the silence that followed.  
  
"Sit down, Donna," the older man ordered her as he came from behind his desk and sat in the chair opposite from the one she chose. Josh settled onto the sofa and tried to give her a reassuring look. The most probable reason it failed was because he felt anything but reassured.  
  
"Donna, I need to talk to you about Jack Reese."  
  
"Jack? Did something happen?"  
  
"No. When he was stationed here, did he ever ask you to help him with any reports?"  
  
"Yeah," she said cautiously. "He was trying to get caught up with the situation in the Middle East so I briefed some of the older reports for him."  
  
"What do you mean you briefed the reports?"  
  
"I summarized them. The same way that I do reports for Josh. I've briefed reports for most of the Senior Staff, actually."  
  
"Do you remember what the reports were about?"  
  
She frowned thoughtfully and glanced at Josh once more for reassurance. "I remember one I did for him. He had asked me to teach him to do it the way I did, because he found the ones I did for him so helpful. He gave me a fake report, a terrorist camp in the Amazon and I showed him how I summarized it."  
  
"Any others?"  
  
"Something about guns and another on Kundu. Leo, what's going on?"  
  
Leo looked at Josh, silently giving him his permission to tell Donna.  
  
"Donna, Jack took your reports and presented them as his own."  
  
"Wha-? You mean?"  
  
"He basically plagiarized your work. That report about Amazon terrorists? It was a report about a terrorist camp in Qumar."  
  
"But. What does that mean?" she asked, looking once again at Leo.  
  
"The good news is he didn't show you anything above your security level. Because of that, I doubt we'll pursue it. If we did, you'd be released from White House employ."  
  
"Oh God."  
  
"Either way, Reese's career is over."  
  
"When?"  
  
"I'm heading over to talk to the president right now. He'll have the final say. I would send you home, but we need you around too much."  
  
"No, it's good," she said, wiping away the tears of fright. "I-I need to keep busy. I'd go crazy at home."  
  
"Alright. I'll talk to you as soon as I know anything."  
  
Josh and Donna left the Chief of Staff's office and hurried to his. Donna stopped at her desk and tried to pretend that she wasn't upset. Josh, knowing her well enough to see that she was about to fall apart, broke their unspoken rule to leave their personal lives at the gate and pulled her into his office. Once there, he tugged her into his arms and held her as sobs shook her thin shoulders.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What do you think?" President Bartlet asked Leo after he had explained the problem.  
  
Leo sighed. "I think Donna's a good girl who has bad taste in men."  
  
"She's dating Josh now, right?"  
  
"My point exactly, sir," he said as they shared a smile. "If she leaves, Josh will go with her, I can almost guarantee it. I have too much on my plate to be looking for a new deputy."  
  
"Especially since you'll be too busy with your duties as new Vice President." Leo scowled at him but Jed swept on. "And the Commander?"  
  
"Desk job in Timbuktu."  
  
"He'll quietly resign?"  
  
"Should."  
  
"Good. What's next?" 


	3. Coffee and Cats

Author: Jo-Anne Storm  
  
Title: To Court a Lady  
  
Rating: PG-13 for a few choice words  
  
Disclaimer: The West Wing and all its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Production, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Spoilers: Up through Season 4.  
  
Summery: After a blow-up, Josh gets permission to date Donna.  
  
Notes: There had to be at least one part that included Josh making a blunder and not even realizing it. And, of course, the requisite apology and make up. Pure fluff.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leo was confirmed as Vice President of the United States. Barely. The battle to get the Senate to confirm him took the combined efforts of every member of the White House staff. Even Will's interns played a part, if only that of tracking down stubborn senators on the Hill.  
  
With Leo confirmed and safely sworn in just that day, Josh breathed a small sigh of relief. Only a small sigh, though. Tonight the President and First Lady were hosting a ball in Leo's honor and had invited the Senior Staff to attend. Tomorrow would be taken up with vetting the short list for the position of Deputy Chief of Staff and all of the other logistics that came from elevating people.  
  
Tonight was for celebration. Tomorrow was for work. Which was why Josh was on Donna's stoop, waiting for her to buzz him into her building. As per President Bartlet's request, Josh was suited in a white tie and tails. Or, he would be once Donna tied his tie for him.  
  
A low buzz signaled the remote release of the lock, and Josh hurriedly opened the door and climbed the stairs to his girlfriend's second story apartment. She had opened the door a crack to allow him entry as she rushed around looking for a missing earring. He stood in the entryway, taking in her beauty.  
  
She wore a dress borrowed from CJ, her hair up in some sort of twist. She had fretted over what to wear for a week because she didn't have the money to buy a new dress and didn't want to embarrass anyone by showing up in the dress she had worn to the Inaugural Balls. Josh, showing an amazing amount of sensitivity on the subject, had been the one to suggest asking CJ for help. As it turned out, Margaret had been in the same position as Donna, which led to a confusing jumble of trades. He thought Margaret was wearing the dress Donna wore to the balls, but was a bit unsure.  
  
"You could come the whole way in," she stated as she inserted the missing earring.  
  
"Cats."  
  
"They're locked in Jamie's room, I promise."  
  
With that declaration, Josh eased further into the apartment. The others had laughed at Josh when Donna had told them about his reaction to the demon spawn. It had happened the morning after the first Inauguration, when Josh had gotten a little too drunk on champagne and power and ended up at Donna's because for the life of him he couldn't remember the address of his new apartment. In his own defense, he had only moved in the week before.  
  
Donna had taken him in as she had done in the months before when he had mourned his father and celebrated his success. Only then she had simply found his room key and led him there to crash for the night. Never were there concerns about roommates and demons.  
  
He had woken up that morning hung over and unable to breathe. The hangover was easy to explain away. The breathing problem, along with the watery eyes, was quickly attributed to the monster who had decided that his chest would be a comfortable resting spot.  
  
It had taken his own territory, all day, and two benedril to battle the effects of his allergy. Then he went and did a stupid thing by showing up the next night and starting the process over again. Donna had laughed at him once she realized why he hated the cats so much, but afterwards had always assured that they were locked away whenever he came over.  
  
"You're beautiful," he told her as she finally came to a stop in front of him.  
  
"Thank you," she smiled back.  
  
He waited for her to lock her apartment behind her and then escorted her to the waiting car. That would possibly be the hardest thing for him to get used to. He was no longer allowed to drive himself where he needed to go. He had a car waiting at his beck and call, part and parcel of his new position.  
  
He had also been forced to accept the damned card from the NSA. The Nuclear Event card. He had argued long and hard with both Leo and the President, but in the end had seen their reasoning that the Chief of Staff would have to be available for the President if something were to happen.  
  
"Donna, about tonight," he started as they traveled towards the White House. "The press is going to be there."  
  
"Yes, Joshua."  
  
"I. I just want to make sure that you're OK with what's going to happen. They've been too busy with Leo- Vice President McGarry's- confirmation to notice us. That will change tonight."  
  
"Are you saying you don't want to go?" she asked nervously.  
  
"No. Well, yes, but that's because I hate wearing a monkey suit. I'm asking to make sure that you want to go. After tonight there may be press waiting at your doorstep. They may imply some horrible things. They might even try to contact your family."  
  
She was silent for a moment, considering this. As she thought, he squeezed the hand he had been holding, silently reassuring her that he would be there for her.  
  
"My parents know we're dating. I told them last week. I can handle the press, I think. 'No comment,' right?"  
  
"You can make any comment you like. CJ will push the 'no comment' while in the Press Room. As far as I'm concerned, what you say outside of the West Wing is entirely up to you."  
  
She nodded in understanding. "And your mom?"  
  
"Told her a month ago. Her response was along the lines of 'about damn time.'"  
  
She laughed with him as the car slowed to a stop. Reporters crowded around the entrance, looking like nothing more than paparazzi at the opening of some movie.  
  
"Ready for this?" he asked as a Marine opened the door. She gave him a smile in response.  
  
He exited the car first and then helped her out. The cameras flashed as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. He didn't bother trying to hide either them or his feelings from the cameras and knew that they would be splashed across the society pages the next day.  
  
The Ballroom was exquisite, but paled in comparison to his date. The cameras flashed once again as they were announced. Dr. Bartlet's staff had organized the whole thing, so he didn't have to look after any last minute details. It was a nice change.  
  
They danced and laughed, talked to the other members of the staff. Donna graciously accepted offers to dance from Toby and Will, while Josh danced with CJ, Andy, and Elsie. When the President was announced the stood and applauded him. When Leo announced they applauded so loudly that he actually blushed.  
  
"Did you have a good time?" he asked when he walked her back to her door.  
  
"Yes. I felt like Cinderella going to the ball."  
  
"Does that mean I'm Prince Charming?" he smirked.  
  
"I thought you were the frog," she teased as she unlocked the door and stepped through the opening.  
  
"Well, I had a good time tonight," he told her as he propped himself up in the doorway. "I didn't have to worry about being the Chief of Staff or who we'd get to be Deputy. I didn't have to smooze too many politicians. It was a good night."  
  
"Are you going to come in for some coffee?" she asked when she noticed that he hadn't moved from the doorway.  
  
"Nah. I have to go in early tomorrow. I have an assistant that's a slave driver," he teased.  
  
She frowned as she deposited her tiny evening bag on her coffee table. "Josh."  
  
He remained silent, knowing that she would say whatever was on her mind in her own time.  
  
"We've been dating for almost two months now."  
  
"Yes," he confirmed with a smile.  
  
"And. You've never. I mean."  
  
"You want to know why I never 'come in for coffee?'"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"The thing is, I don't feel the need to."  
  
"Oh." She drew herself up ramrod straight. "I see. Good night, Joshua."  
  
"Night," he said, closing the door as he left, never noticing the icy tone of her voice.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He could only attribute his lack of comprehension on the sheer amount of logistical nightmares that occurred over the next few days. They had to move Leo's personal affects out of the Chief of Staff's office, which had to be done before Josh could take over. Likewise, Margaret had to clear her own space before Donna could have her desk. As a result, Josh spent two days running back and forth between his old office, his new office, and the Oval Office. Add to that the stress of selecting a deputy and receiving calls every few hours from a mothering Vice President and surely any sane person could understand why Josh didn't notice the fact that his assistant and girlfriend wasn't talking to him. He simply didn't have time to notice.  
  
Once he was finally settled in his office and his new deputy, a woman by the name of Ellen Shinup, was settled, a new crisis erupted in the Middle East, which kept him away from Donna for another three days.  
  
It was over a week since their last date when he finally had a chance to catch his breath and check on his lovely girlfriend.  
  
"Hey," he said, leaning one hip against her desk. "How do you like having an office with actual walls?"  
  
"Do you need something?" she asked shortly, not looking up from a memo she was typing.  
  
"Dinner at the Palm tomorrow?"  
  
"I'll set up the reservation."  
  
"'Kay," he said with a happy smile.  
  
She came into his office a few minutes later to tell him that the reservation was at nine and that he was about to be late for the President's meeting with the DNC. Once again his day flew by, as did the next one. He didn't have a chance to talk to her in any depth until he was knocking on her door an hour before they were supposed to be at the restaurant.  
  
"Hey!" he greeted as she opened the door, only to stop in confusion when he saw that she was wearing casual clothes. "Donna, you know my schedule better than I do. Did you forget about dinner tonight?"  
  
"No," she said as she tried to close the door in his face.  
  
"Donna!" he yelped, managing to barely slip into the opening before she locked him out. He was completely confused as to why she would do such a thing until he noticed one of the demon cats rub up against his leg. The only time she didn't lock the stupid things up was when she was well and truly pissed at him.  
  
"Donna? What did I do?" he asked, desperately trying to ignore the prickling of his eyes and nose caused by the proximity of the cat.  
  
"Nothing, Josh. Absolutely nothing."  
  
"'Kay. What was I supposed to do?" he ventured.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
He eyed her warily as he picked up the cat and crossed to Jamie's room. Obviously, he thought as he quickly checked that the other demon was in the room and shut them both in, he had done something. Or he had forgotten to do something. For the life of him, though, he had no idea what his blunder was.  
  
He hadn't forgotten any important dates. Even if Donna had not reminded him for some reason, he had roped his mother into keeping track of the important anniversaries of his life, including his first date with Donna. So he knew for a fact that he didn't forget her birthday, which was months away in any case.  
  
It was possible that she was mad that he hadn't had time for her over the past week, but since she was the one who made his schedule, she knew damn well how busy he had been. That surely wasn't the reason.  
  
"Donda," he sniffled, internally cursing the evil cats. "I obviously did sobething. Please tell be what I did so I can bake it up to you."  
  
She glared at him as he snagged a tissue from the dispenser and blew his nose. Two tissues later he felt as if he could talk normally once again.  
  
"What's wrong? Did the press give you a hard time or something?"  
  
She sniffed in response, a reaction that told him he was in trouble even more so than her silence.  
  
"Did you just want to stay in tonight? Are you mad that I assumed you'd want to get dressed up and go to the Palm? You used to complain to me that you never got to go anywhere, so I just assumed that you'd enjoy it."  
  
Still, she remained silent, her back ramrod straight and her shoulders square.  
  
Sighing in defeat, he sunk onto the couch and decided that if worse came to worst he would simply out stubborn her.  
  
Donna glared at him for a moment before opening the door to Jamie's room, letting out the demons, and then disappearing into her own room. From the way she oh so carefully closed the door, he knew she was resisting the urge to slam it.  
  
Absently, he petted the cat that wandered over to him, figuring that if he was going to be miserable because she was mad, he might as well do it right.  
  
Jamie came home after he had been there for an hour. She silently raised her brows at his abject misery before gathering up her two cats, both of whom had decided to take up residence in his lap, and disappearing into her room.  
  
Depressed and unable to breathe, he took off his suit jacket and used it as a pillow, eventually dozing off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Coffee," Donna announced the next morning, setting a steaming cup on the coffee table.  
  
"Ab I forgiven?"  
  
"What did you do that needs forgiven?"  
  
"I habe do idea. But whatever it was, I sincerely apologize."  
  
She leaned back in the chair she had settled into and considered him. He really did look miserable. His nose and eyes were red, his hair and shirt rumpled. He had spent the whole night on her couch, her incredibly lumpy couch.  
  
"You didn't want coffee," she stated.  
  
"Coffee?" he asked, confusion written across his features. "Idcluding today, you've brought be coffee exactly twice. Ady time I ask you to bring me coffee, you sdap at be."  
  
She retrieved a packet of benedril from her pocket and tossed it to him, receiving a "Thadks" in return. After he took the medicine and blew his nose several times, she tried to explain the reason she was so mad.  
  
"After the ball. I asked you to come in for coffee. You said you didn't feel the need to."  
  
Josh's brow furrowed in confusion. "'Coffee' is a code word, I take it?" At her nod, he continued. "And because I didn't want to come in last week and have 'coffee,' you're mad at me?"  
  
"No, because you said you didn't feel like you needed any."  
  
"'Kay. And you got mad at me because I didn't want to go straight for the 'coffee?'"  
  
"Sounds silly when you put it like that," she mumbled.  
  
He smiled, flashing his dimples, as he sank to his knees in front of her chair. "What I meant is that I don't want to rush into 'coffee.' I want to do this right, and if that means no 'coffee' for a year, then so be it."  
  
"But. People who are dating-"  
  
"Yes, they do. Because they're checking out compatibility. I don't need to do that."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
She smiled up at her. "I know you, Donna. I don't have to check to see if we're 'coffee' compatible. I know we are."  
  
"How can you be sure?" she questioned, her voice small and confused.  
  
With a shy smile he levered himself up until he could reach her lips and proceeded to kiss her the way he had been resisting doing for as long as they had been dating, and even before that. He poured just a portion of his passion and love for her into the kiss while burying a hand in her thick hair. He coaxed her mouth open and explored it with his tongue, taking in the taste of her and the overlying taste of coffee.  
  
Finally, when his knees were protesting the hard floor they rested on, he lightened the pressure, ending the kiss. He immediately returned to her lips to place soft, soothing kisses on the now red flesh.  
  
"I need to go change for work," he whispered before placing one last kiss on her lips. "As to your question: I know."  
  
He dashed out the door, leaving her sitting dazed in the chair. Jamie stuck her sleep tousled head into the living room and sent her a questioning look.  
  
"Wow," was all Donna could say, her hand pressed to her still-tingling lips. 


	4. The Battle of the Js

Author: Jo-Anne Storm  
  
Title: To Court a Lady  
  
Rating: PG-13 for a few choice words  
  
Disclaimer: The West Wing and all its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Production, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Spoilers: Up through Season 4.  
  
Summery: After a blow-up, Josh gets permission to date Donna.  
  
Notes: Wow, this is the longest portion yet. Just in case you're wondering, these are pure fluff. You want a plot, go somewhere else.  
  
The stats Jay spouts off are from the National Organ Donation Society. Yes, I did research!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"J!"  
  
Josh looked up from the baked chicken he had been eating at the sound of Amy's nickname for him echoing across the restaurant. He didn't have time to even wave to her as she bustled over and collapsed into the chair across from him.  
  
"How ya doing, J?"  
  
"I'm good," he told his ex-girlfriend. They had parted amicably, which was amazing considering their relationship had never been amicable.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
He looked pointedly at his abandoned lunch and then back up at her.  
  
"So, I'm dating someone new," she said, ignoring his look. "He's actually meeting me here in a few minutes. He's a rising star over at Washington Center; he's a transplant surgeon."  
  
"Not a politician?"  
  
"Nah. I had an epiphany: politicians shouldn't date each other. I mean, just look what happened to us. There's going to be a conflict of interest sooner or later."  
  
"Yeah, problem with that is you live in DC. It's hard to meet anyone who isn't political," he pointed out.  
  
"Not when you work for a doctor who just happens to be political, too. Mrs. B gave a speech at Washington Center, which is where I met Jay."  
  
"Talking about me?" a voice asked from beside Amy.  
  
"Jay!" Amy said, her voice filled full of pleasure. "Jay, meet. Well, J."  
  
"Josh," he introduced himself as he rose and shook the newcomer's hand. The man was tall and blonde, with an open face and wide shoulders. He thought that the man contrasted Amy perfectly.  
  
"How do you do? Are you one of Amy's political friends?"  
  
"Something like that," he murmured.  
  
"We dated awhile," Amy explained. "Josh, mind if we join you? I need to talk to you about the benefit Mrs. B is hosting next week."  
  
Josh nodded his assent and waved to a nearby waiter. One perk he had noticed about his elevated status was that the politically savvy servers immediately recognized him as the second most powerful man in the country and responded accordingly. Sometimes he thought that waiters were the only ones who noticed.  
  
"What about the fund raiser?" he asked after the waiter hurried away to place the orders.  
  
"We want him to come."  
  
"Amy."  
  
"It's an important event," she insisted.  
  
"The First Lady or the staff?"  
  
"Both."  
  
He sighed in resignation and slipped his cell phone from its normal position on his belt. "Hey, Debbie, it's Josh. Yes, I know its lunch time. No, I don't want to talk to him. If I wanted to talk to her I would have called her office. Debbie. Debbie. Yes, I know I was late for a meeting this morning. Debbie!" the last was said in a squeak.  
  
"Listen, Amy Gardner wants him to come to the thing next week. I don't know the name of the thing."  
  
"Humanitarian Medical Relief dinner. It starts at seven next Wednesday," Amy provided.  
  
Josh relayed the information and listened in silence as the President's executive secretary confirmed that he was free.  
  
"Alright, when he has a free moment ask him if he has a preference about going. Yeah. Yeah. No. OK. Debbie."  
  
Josh hung up the phone with little ceremony and glared at his friend. "I'm now on her list, I'll have you know. I'm supposed to tell you that next time you are not supposed to use me as a go-between. Which is perfectly fine by me."  
  
"So he'll be there?"  
  
"He has free time then," Josh acknowledged. "Whether or not he goes is completely up to him."  
  
"He'll be there," she said with a self-satisfied air.  
  
"Can we talk about something other than our jobs now? I actually came to lunch so that I don't have to think about work."  
  
"Works for me," Jay said. "I'm not much for politics anyway."  
  
"You haven't lived here long, have you?"  
  
"Couple of months," the other man said with a shrug.  
  
"Wait awhile," Amy told him as their food arrived. "Politics will get into your blood. Next thing you know you'll be arguing about legislation over drinks."  
  
"Possible, I guess," he said. "As of right now I'm pretty much apolitical with leanings towards Republican."  
  
Josh barely managed not to spit his chicken out. "Republican! Amy!"  
  
Amy laughed and dismissed his unspoken concerns with a wave of her hand. "He's not a politician, Josh."  
  
He stabbed a green bean and shoved it into his mouth, but decided to stay silent on that subject. "What made you decide on transplant surgery?"  
  
Jay laughed. "Are you kidding? Transplant offers fame and a great deal of money. Plastic surgery is probably the only specialty that I could make more money at, but I decided that I didn't want to deal with people who are prettier than me."  
  
Josh personally thought that this was a callous response, but decided to take it as a jest when Amy showed no sign of being offended.  
  
"How did you and Amy meet?" Jay asked.  
  
"Law school. Amy dated my roommate for awhile. We lost touch after I graduated, then hooked up for awhile a couple of years ago."  
  
"You guys dated?"  
  
"Much to our own dismay," Amy quipped. "Why did we do that?"  
  
Josh shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time. Where you from, Jay?"  
  
"Nebraska originally. I moved around a bit for college and grad school. Washington Center was impressed with my efforts to get more people to donate their organs when they die. Did you know that one person can save the lives of eight people? That doesn't include things like bone marrow and corneas. In 2001 over two thousand kidney patients died while waiting for a transplant. Over 450 heart patients could have been saved. Half of the families who are asked about donation refuse."  
  
"That couldn't be because they're grieving or anything," Josh replied, shrugging uneasily when Amy glared at him.  
  
"Let me ask you this, Josh: if you were in an accident tomorrow, would you want your heart to go to a fifteen year old boy who wants nothing more than to become a teacher?"  
  
"I doubt anyone would want my heart," he said, trying to keep his tone light. "It's a little battered."  
  
"No one cares about emotional scars," Jay replied, misunderstanding Josh's meaning.  
  
"Why don't we talk about something else?" Amy interrupted. "Josh, you hear any good gossip lately?"  
  
"Mary Marsh is in the hot seat with the Christian League again. Apparently she made a few disparaging remarks about Toby and Andy. Caldwell was not pleased."  
  
"She really doesn't like you guys, does she?"  
  
"At least this time she didn't say it to his face," Josh observed. "Last time she insulted him, I thought he was going to deck her right there in the Mural Room. And that was just a remark about being Jewish. I'd hate to see him go off if she insulted the twins to his face."  
  
"Did that just happen today?"  
  
"No, over the weekend. You were in Indiana with the First Lady."  
  
"I'm surprised I didn't hear about it the second I got back."  
  
Josh shrugged. "She didn't say it on the record or anything, just in front of some prominent politicians she was trying to sway."  
  
"Which means no formal apology."  
  
"True. I would assume she's smart enough to stay out of Toby's way for awhile." Josh glanced over at Jay and noticed that the man looked distinctly uncomfortable. If nothing else, his mother had drilled politeness into him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jay. It's rude of us to talk about people you don't know."  
  
"It's OK. I'm getting a feel for who's who. You're talking about Toby Ziegler, right?"  
  
"Yeah," Amy confirmed. "He and his ex-wife just had twins. If you two will excuse me, I will be right back."  
  
Jay waited until she was gone before speaking again. "They're a real bunch up there, aren't they? The Vice President had an affair too. Latest I heard was that the Chief of Staff can't keep it in his pants when it comes to his secretary. We should call it the Hot House."  
  
Josh sat back; shocked by the fact that the other man obviously didn't know who he was talking to.  
  
"Where'd you hear that?"  
  
"I was out having drinks with a couple of drinks with some of the other doctors at work and GW. Apparently the guy had a checkup the other day and the broad was all over him. She's supposed to be all legs and blonde hair and half his age."  
  
"His doctor was the one who told you this?"  
  
"Nah, it was some little tech. I'm not even sure why the guy was there. He was probably trying to get above his station."  
  
Josh smiled grimly, which Jay took as agreement to his elitist views.  
  
"Don't get me wrong, sluming's fine every once in awhile. I'm all for showing the masses that we care. But doctors don't have drinks with techs. It would be like the boss actually marrying the secretary."  
  
Josh opened his mouth to verbally assault the idiot when both his cell phone and his beeper when off. Muttering a curse, he fumbled for them both.  
  
"Yeah," he snapped into the phone once he had stopped the beeper's noise.  
  
"Don't snap at me, Joshua," Donna chided him. "They need you in the Sit Room."  
  
"I'm on my way," he told her, making a mental note to apologize to her later for his harsh tone. "Tell Amy that something came up," he told Jay shortly. "And that I'll talk to her later."  
  
Jay nodded and stood with him. "Will do."  
  
Josh threw some bills on the table and turned to go, only to stop a few feet away when Jay once again spoke to him.  
  
"Here's my card. Maybe we can get together one night and watch some football."  
  
Josh took the offered card and strode out of the building with it clenched in his fist. He was trembling when he got into the waiting car, the driver no doubt having been informed by Donna that he was needed.  
  
It was only when he entered the West Wing that he remembered the small piece of cardboard in his hand. He turned to throw it in the garbage when the name on it caught his eye. With a smile that made Republican Congressmen cringe, he carefully straightened the wrinkles out and slipped it into his wallet.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After he helped the President deal with a small crisis in Africa, a simple matter of posturing and flexing their military muscle, Josh made a circuit of the West Wing, gathering up Charlie, Toby, Will, and Danny. Once he had them all in his office, he told Donna not to disturb them and shut the door.  
  
"I hereby call to order the second gathering of the Snowball Knights. Anyone who doesn't want a part of this can get the Hell out."  
  
"Snowball Knights?" Toby questioned. "We're calling ourselves Snowball Knights?"  
  
"It could be worse," Charlie pointed out. "It could be Team Toby."  
  
"Fair point," Toby conceded and turned to their rather juvenile leader.  
  
Josh took the card Jay had given to him and threw it on the desk. "I had an interesting lunch with Amy and her new man."  
  
"Josh," Danny ventured. "You and Donna have been dating for three months now. Why are you upset over who Amy's dating?"  
  
They all internally winced at the idea of Josh being jealous of Amy's boyfriend and the fall-out that would occur if Donna found out. They weren't afraid of Josh, just Donna's reaction and the chaos that was sure to occur in the wake of her leaving.  
  
"I could care less about who Amy's dating. Except for that guy," he said, pointing at the offending card.  
  
Charlie picked up the card and examined it. "Joshua 'Jay' Haute, M.D., Organ Transplant Surgeon, Washington Hospital Center. Sounds like a smart guy."  
  
"Oh, no. Not him," Josh explained. "He is also known as Dr. Freeride."  
  
Light dawned for the others in the room. They had all heard about the infamous Freeride during the taxi ride to Donna's apartment during the Inaugural Balls. Toby and Danny, who had actually had the displeasure of dealing with Josh for the two weeks Donna had left glared at the card, silently wishing that it would morph into the man who had unknowingly made everyone's live miserable. Beating a business card to within an inch of its life just didn't have the same effect.  
  
"Amy's dating Dr. Freeride?" Will clarified, just to make sure he was on the same page as everyone else.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Toby was the first to jump on this particular bandwagon. All he had to do was think about someone using Molly so badly and his temper flared.  
  
"I'm not sure," Josh conceded. "That's why I need you guys."  
  
"Can I just say," Charlie ventured. "While I'm all for running this guy out of DC, I think we should let Donna know what's going on. While some women claim that they want a guy to swoop in and act all manly, they really don't. In fact, they get a little annoyed."  
  
"His is the voice of experience," Will pointed out.  
  
"Plus," Danny added. "Since Donna is the wronged party here, she should have a say in what we do to the guy."  
  
Josh frowned for a moment, considering the idea. "I suppose we should give Amy a heads up, too. That way she doesn't put us all on her death list."  
  
"It would be appreciated," Toby said. "Amy would talk to Andy, then I'd be sleeping on the couch."  
  
"They'd get CJ in on it and I'd never get a date."  
  
"Zoey would stop talking to me again."  
  
"Amy would tell Elsie and she'd tell my staff. They'd all walk out and I'd have to write everything." Will looked a bit green at the idea but kept his composure.  
  
"Yeah, OK," Josh conceded, wondering if medieval knights had similar problems.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"You know," Donna said as they worked the HMR dinner a little over a week later. "Some men might get worried that I'd go running back to him."  
  
"Not me, though," Josh said with a smirk. "For one thing, he's a pompous, elitist ass. Secondly, I wouldn't stop for anything if you were hurt. And third, I'm da man."  
  
"You're very sure of yourself."  
  
"No," he said, kissing the palm of her hand. "I'm sure of you."  
  
She smiled happily at his declaration and turned her attention to the room at large. Her White Knights, she had decided that Snowball Knights was just too silly an appellation to keep, were ranged around the room with their respective ladies fair.  
  
Will, who was escorting his step-sister, was talking to Ed about the latest polling data. Much to Donna's amusement, he didn't notice that Cassie Tatum, Ed's date for the evening, was looking at him as if he hung the moon.  
  
Toby and Andy were surrounded by a group of people admiring the ever present baby pictures. Even across the room she could see the look of pride and joy in Toby's eye.  
  
Danny was hovering around CJ, making jokes, judging by the quirk of her lips.  
  
Charlie was standing tall and proud beside Zoey as she talked to Stanley Keyworth, who had been brought in to deal with the aftermath of her kidnapping. Rumor had it that Zoey had decided to study psychology as a result of her experiences both at Rosslyn and with the kidnapping.  
  
"Amy knows to get here late?" she prodded Josh.  
  
"Yes. She invented a minor emergency in her office. Her assistant called her right after Dr. Freeride picked her up to make it look legit."  
  
"Good. Everyone knows their parts?"  
  
"Yep. They'll get here after dinner is served, unfashionably late, by the way. Amy will go and apologize to President and Dr. Bartlet while Freeride finds his seat. Charlie assures me that all the chicken entrees will have been given out and he'll get stuck with seafood. Since he's allergic, he'll just have to go hungry.  
  
"After dinner, Will plays the bumbler and spills his red wine all down Freeride's tux. I hope it's rented. Elsie will 'help' to mop it up, spreading it around even worse. From what you've told me, he should blow his top around then."  
  
"And if he doesn't?"  
  
"We have back up. CJ will ask him to dance and proceed to mangle his toes. We owe her big for this. Danny will start a conversation with the words 'the Packers suck.' He said to tell you that he did actual research on this."  
  
"Charlie?"  
  
"Charlie is the supervisor on all of this. He's going to keep an eye out and make sure that everything goes smoothly."  
  
"You're sure that you can keep him away from me?" she questioned.  
  
"Reasonably sure. That's part of Charlie's job. He'll run interference if the idiot comes too close. Plus, I'll be with you the whole time. You'll never have to talk to him."  
  
Donna nodded her head, grateful to her friends for pulling together this elaborate scheme but a little wary about it at the same time. If it worked, Jay would be made a laughingstock. She just worried about all the things that could go wrong.  
  
Her fears were not entirely unfounded, she discovered as Josh's beeper went off just as they sat down for dinner. As soon as he stopped the noise, another beeper went off. It continued around the room until all the Senior Staff were making their apologies to their companions and hurrying from the room. Donna followed Josh, knowing that he would more than likely need her and unwilling to stay and endure the sight of her ex without his support.  
  
With only Charlie, Danny, and Elsie left at the dinner, Operation Humiliation was officially off. Donna put it out of her mind as she rushed around her office, gathering files related to earthquake victim relief. The eight point quake that occurred in China was far more important than her petty revenge.  
  
"Donna!" Josh called to her around midnight.  
  
She hurried into his office, carrying the files she knew he would need. "Doctors Without Borders," she said, handing him the first. "UNICEF, and CARE."  
  
"Did you-"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And-"  
  
"UNICEF is preparing a team, as is the Red Cross. Doctors Without Borders is already in the area. And, no, I won't get you coffee."  
  
"Please?" he whispered, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  
She left and came back with a mug of stewing brew and a couple of Tylenol. She handed them wordless to him and he smiled in gratitude.  
  
"I'll take this as a fluke, OK?"  
  
"'Kay," she agreed.  
  
She was leaving when she heard Jay's voice come from the doorway that connected Josh's office to the Oval Office.  
  
"It sure was nice of you to show me around, sir."  
  
"No trouble. No trouble at all," President Bartlet said jovially. "I actually wanted to talk to you a bit. I've known Amy all of her life and while I try not to play the over-protective father figure, I find I do it rather well."  
  
"So this is the Inquisition, sir?"  
  
"Indeed it is. Tell me, where did you go to school?"  
  
"I did my undergraduate work at Nebraska State then moved to the University of Wisconsin for my graduate and residency. From there I moved to San Diego General. I've been at Washington Center for two months."  
  
"You like to move around a lot, do you?"  
  
"Not really, sir. But when someone offers you a better deal you have to go with it."  
  
Donna could tell by the President's "hrmph" that he wasn't at all convinced of that theory.  
  
"You must have a great amount of student loans."  
  
"No, sir, not really."  
  
"Wealthy family?"  
  
"Not at all, sir. I'm an orphan, actually. I've just been lucky to have some help along the way."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes, sir. During my residency I had a girlfriend who helped to pay the bills."  
  
"Sounds like a nice girl. What happened to her?"  
  
"I'm not really sure, Mr. President. We had a fight and she left. Last I heard she was working for some long-shot political campaign."  
  
The silence from the Oval Office was deafening. "A political campaign?" Bartlet finally asked, his voice holding a new note of ice that Jay didn't catch.  
  
"Yes, sir. I had tracked her down at one point and convinced her to come back, but that only lasted a couple of weeks. In all truth, I think she had fallen in love with the candidate."  
  
Donna blushed at her ex's words. Josh smirked at her from beside her and she resisted the urge to elbow him in the stomach. It wouldn't do any good to be caught eavesdropping on the most powerful man in the country.  
  
"You did your residency at Wisconsin, you said? University of Wisconsin's in Madison, correct?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"This girlfriend of yours, what did you fight about?"  
  
"She seemed to think I was spending too much time with one of the nurses," Jay confessed.  
  
Donna snorted softly. That was one way of describing her reaction to finding him and said nurse in bed together. Josh, who knew the whole story, squeezed her shoulder in support.  
  
"Have you met my Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman? I think he'd be very interested in you."  
  
Josh and Donna quickly moved away from the door as the President poked his head through. He regarded them both for a moment then gave a cold smile.  
  
"Josh, there's someone I think you'd like to meet. Come on in." He nodded in a fatherly way to Donna, the gleam in his eye declaring that he was up to something.  
  
"Josh Lyman, Jay Haute," Bartlet introduced.  
  
"We've actually met before, Mr. President," Josh explained as he calmly gripped Jay's hand. He had seen the look in his boss's eye and knew that the man was plotting. For now, he decided, he'd play along. "He and Amy joined me for lunch last week."  
  
"Hello again, Josh. Have you given any more thought to our talk about organ donation?"  
  
Josh smiled grimly. "No, but I have thought about a few of the other things you said."  
  
Jay actually had the decency to wince. "Yeah. Sorry about that, I didn't realize who you were, obviously."  
  
"No, it's OK," Josh dismissed casually. "If nothing else it told me that my doctor's office had a leak. Not that I'm ashamed of my relationship with my girlfriend, you understand, but she does get a bit upset about the gossip that goes on."  
  
"No hard feelings, huh?"  
  
"Oh, no. Not about that," Josh said with a predatory smile. Jay obviously didn't notice or else he would have run screaming.  
  
"So, Josh, Jay here was telling me the most fascinating story. I'm sure you would love to hear it."  
  
"Sir?" he asked, playing ignorant.  
  
"Yes, he was telling me about the girlfriend who supported him while he was doing his residency. Must have been a very special girl."  
  
"In all truthfulness, sir, she was rather flakey. She had no self- confidence at all. I wouldn't have even dated her if it hadn't been for her looks."  
  
"She must have been loyal, then," Bartlet pointed out.  
  
"No, sir. If she had been, she wouldn't have run out on me after such a silly fight. You know how women are now-a-days, sir."  
  
"Yes, I do," he agreed. "Tell me, do you believe that a woman's place is in the home?"  
  
"In a perfect world, sir. It is truly a tragedy that women have to work to support their mates."  
  
Bartlet smiled wryly as his wife and her Chief of Staff entered the office. The look on Abbey's face told him that she knew something was up. The look both she and Amy cast in Josh's direction told him that Josh had known exactly who Jay was before this meeting.  
  
"Abbey, Amy, we were just talking about a woman's place in the world," Jed explained, keeping an eye on Jay, who squirmed slightly under the combined gazes of the First Lady and the woman he thought of as a potential girlfriend. "Jay here thinks that a woman's place is in the home."  
  
"Really," Abbey said with an icy smile. "That's an interesting view. Josh, what do you think?"  
  
"Me, ma'am? I know too many strong women to ever presume that I know where they belong. They belong wherever they want to be."  
  
"Damn straight," the First Lady praised.  
  
"He was also telling me about a girlfriend he used to have who helped to pay his tuition expenses out of the goodness of her heart. Isn't that a remarkable woman?"  
  
"Truly."  
  
"It's too bad you lost contact with her. Now that you're becoming successful you could pay her back. Ah well, there's no way to find her now."  
  
Jay shifted nervously as the other occupants in the room stared at him. "Uh. Yes. That really is too bad. I don't know what she'd do with the money anyway," he said, rallying. "No one needs that many shoes."  
  
"I don't know, women need a lot of shoes," Amy quipped.  
  
"Not ten thousand dollars worth," he countered, giving them exactly what they wanted: an estimate of what he owed Donna.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure she could do other things with that money," Josh said, slightly shocked with the figure named. Donna must have worked two or three jobs in order to pay that amount off. "You know, donate it to some no-name Democrat, give it to charity, or finish her own degree."  
  
"No, she'd just squander it," Jay denied, not catching the clue that the group knew more than he thought they did.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure she'd buy a DVD player or something like that. But she'd put the rest of it to good use. Maybe she'd put it in trust for her future children or move to a better neighborhood."  
  
"It's a moot point anyway," Jay pointed out, still not getting the hint. "I have no way of finding her."  
  
"Oh, but I do," Bartlet said, the icy grin back. "How about you just give us her name, we'll take care of the rest."  
  
"I. Uh."  
  
Josh cast a quick look at the President and received silent permission to let himself off the leash.  
  
"You know," he said conversationally, causing Jay to relax slightly, thinking that the conversation had taken a more pleasant turn. It was a more pleasant turn, just not for him. "I don't know whether to hit you or thank you."  
  
"Pardon?" Jay asked confused. He glanced around and saw similar grim looks on each of his companions' faces.  
  
"You see," Josh continued, stalking towards the man who had hurt his Donnatella. "If you hadn't decided to jump into bed with Nurse Betty, Donna wouldn't have joined the Bartlet campaign. Yes," he confirmed, interpreting the look of shock on Jay's face. "So, should I punch you for hurting her or thank you for giving her to me?  
  
"What you are going to do," he snarled, getting right into the taller man's face. "Is pay back every sent you ever took from her. That means the money she paid on your loans and the money you took out of her savings account. You will send it to her care of the White House. If you do not, I'll personally make sure that you are black listed from every social event for as long as I work in politics.  
  
"Now, you could go to the press and accuse us of misusing Presidential Power. But how would your bosses like it if they found out just what kind of man you are? Would you like to have your face splashed across the country with the title of 'user' attached?"  
  
Jay's face was red with anger by this point. Donna, who was leaning against the connecting doorway watching the scene play out, knew that her ex was backed into a corner and would try to get out of it the only way he knew how, by attacking.  
  
"She must give pretty good head for you to be so zealous. I always thought she was rather frigid, myself."  
  
Josh stopped dead, his face bone white from sheer anger. Donna could feel the tremors that coursed through his body as he tried to control his temper. She had never seen him that angry in the six years she had worked for him, and in all truthfulness, it scared her a bit.  
  
Bartlet strode to his desk and hit the button for the intercom. "Debbie, get security in here, please. There's a jackass that needs to be shown out."  
  
As the President hung up, Donna made her way to her trembling boyfriend. She spared only a short glare for Dr. Freeride before laying a calming hand on Josh's arm.  
  
"I think you should leave now, Jay," she said quietly. "You're not welcome here."  
  
Security, showing an amazing sense of timing, appeared at that moment and grasped Jay by the arms. He snarled at them as he was drug from the room. The First Couple and Amy followed them out, Amy speaking softly but earnestly to Jay, no doubt trying to convince him that he had just done a Very Bad Thing.  
  
Once they were alone, Donna bypassed their usual rule about etiquette at work and pulled his trembling body into her arms. After a few minutes Josh pulled away and she looked at him critically. Color had returned to his face and the tremors had stopped. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was still angry, not that she blamed him.  
  
"Hey," she said with a small smile.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"Donna, he-"  
  
"I know, I heard. It's OK. Nothing he says can hurt me. Not as long as I have you."  
  
He buried his face in her hair for a moment. "I love you," he whispered.  
  
"I know."  
  
He pulled back and glared playfully at her. "You know? That's all you have to say?"  
  
"I'm da man," she answered with a laugh as she led him back into his own office. 


	5. Player Trades

Author: Jo-Anne Storm  
  
Title: To Court a Lady  
  
Rating: PG-13 for a few choice words  
  
Disclaimer: The West Wing and all its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Production, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Spoilers: Up through Season 4.  
  
Summery: After a blow-up, Josh gets permission to date Donna.  
  
Notes: Will be at the end of this episode.  
  
She found him completely by accident. Josh had sent her off to the Hill to hunt down a reluctant Congresswoman and he was there, right in her office, copying a memo for Shultz. He didn't look up as she passed by, and she didn't acknowledge his presence, shocking as it was.  
  
"New intern?" she asked conversationally to Maria, Shultz's assistant.  
  
Maria had snorted and sneered at the question. "A useless waste of flesh," she had derided. "All he does is question the congresswoman's decisions. She's about to pull her hair out because of him."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Complete waste of space. It's surprising considering his SAT scores and grades from George Washington."  
  
Donna nodded sympathetically and relayed a story about one of the interns that were always hanging around the West Wing. A good many of them were useful only for filing and copying.  
  
"Bobbi," Maria confessed. "Is just about ready to do anything to get rid of this kid. He annoys her."  
  
She quickly review the options presented before her and decided she liked her chances of achieving something with her next offer.  
  
"5-19. She votes no on 5-19 and we'll take the kid."  
  
Maria looked at her as if she had grown an extra head or two. "You're kidding? Why on earth would you want an annoying brat?"  
  
Donna smiled mysteriously. "Will annoyed me yesterday."  
  
Half an hour later it was a done deal. Donna strode back to the copy machine, where the young man was still standing, staring off into space as the machine hummed.  
  
"Get your stuff," she told him in her most authoritative voice.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"Get your stuff, follow me."  
  
He shot her a worried look but complied. She waited until he was back, bearing a bulging backpack and a confused and apprehensive expression. Without a word she strode out of the office and made her way across to the building she, and now he, worked in.  
  
Silently she signed him in at the checkpoint and watched as he nervously donned the visitor's badge. She led him into the bowels of the building, to the Human Resources Department, and ordered him to sit.  
  
A quiet conversation with Sarah Whitchel, Debbie's replacement, produced the results that Donna needed.  
  
"Fill these out," she told him, handing him a stack of papers. "Give them to the girl at the desk when you're done. Tomorrow is Saturday. You will be at the Security Desk at 7 am. I will meet you there. If you are going to be there at 7:01, don't bother to show up. Saturdays are casual. That means clean jeans and a shirt. Tomorrow we'll talk about your new schedule."  
  
"Ma'am?"  
  
"Welcome to the life as an intern for Josh Lyman."  
  
His eyes widened dramatically. "Ma'am?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I think I misunderstood you. You said I was going to be the Chief of Staff's intern."  
  
Donna finally relaxed her strict poker face. "Congratulations, Billy. You were put on his list."  
  
She left him speechless as she went back to her own job.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Josh was a happy man. He had been dating Donna for five months now. In his pocket was the ring he had carefully selected with the President's covert help. Bartlet had created a bogus assignment so that Josh could have a day free to browse the stores that he normally wouldn't have the time to even glance at. He had made reservations at The Palm for that night. Yes, he had actually made the reservation himself.  
  
"Donna!" he called as he strolled into his office at 8. "Donna!"  
  
"She went to the mess," a voice said from his doorway. More importantly, a strange voice said from his doorway.  
  
Josh regarded the young man in front of him. "I know you," he said, realizing that the boy was familiar.  
  
"Billy Fernandez, sir. I'm your new intern."  
  
"I had an old intern?"  
  
"Not as such, no."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Billy Fernandez. We met a couple of years ago through Presidential Classroom."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Fernandez. I put you on my list, didn't I?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"And you're my new intern?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"OK, Billy? It is Billy, right? Billy, your first act as my intern is to get me coffee."  
  
"Um. No, sir. Miss Moss told me that under no uncertain terms am I supposed to, I think the phrase she used was 'act like your waiter.'"  
  
"Then what are you supposed to do?"  
  
"File, copy, and annoy you as often as possible," he confessed, taking on trust Donna's position that he would not get dismissed for telling the truth.  
  
"Yeah, you're my new intern," Josh muttered wryly. "I don't suppose your job entails telling me what my schedule is, does it?"  
  
"Staff in fifteen," Donna announced as she strode into the office. "Then you're in with the President all morning. Meetings include the NSA, a strategy session with RCA about downloading music, and the National Parks Committee." She handed him a pile of folders. "These are in the same order as the meetings, so don't mix them up or you'll embarrass yourself in front of very important people."  
  
"I'm very important people," he said, smiling at her.  
  
"Which is obviously why you scored that much-lauded 760 verbal. I'll brief you on your afternoon schedule after lunch."  
  
"I still have tonight free, right?"  
  
"Unless a national emergency occurs," she confirmed. "Be nice to Billy, this is his first day."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because he has never had to put up with you for long periods of time and therefore needs to be gently introduced to your idiosyncrasies."  
  
"I don't have idiosyncrasies."  
  
"Yes, you do," she said with a smile as she pulled Billy out of the office. He could hear her moving around and telling the newest member of the administration to deliver a memo.  
  
He always kept the door between their offices open. He liked being able to look up and see her passing as she went from cabinet to cabinet. He liked the feel of her lurking outside the door, waiting for a meeting to end so that she could tell him some little fact she had found.  
  
He heard her call something after Billy and couldn't help but smile. He wondered where she had found him, the young man he had put on his list and had jokingly refused to call on during that crash over two years ago. He had commented to her, after the kids had left and he walked her to her car, "He'll be worth watching."  
  
And, apparently, he was. He could only be a sophomore, and yet was interning at the White House. He would, indeed, be worth watching as the years went by.  
  
He turned his thoughts to other things as the Senior Staff started to trickle in.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Did you have a good day?" he asked hours later as they ate at the restaurant. He couldn't help but be grateful that the change in status included a significant pay raise. Without it, he would never have been able to afford such a night.  
  
"Yes, I did. I don't know what Shultz was thinking, but Billy's a delight."  
  
"Shultz?"  
  
Donna quickly explained how she had traded Billy for a negative vote. Josh laughed at the story, as she knew he would.  
  
"Well, after this is over you can always get a job as business manager for baseball team. You already got the trading idea down."  
  
She mock groaned at him. "If I did you'd insist that I get you on the team."  
  
"Do you ever think about what you'll be doing after?" he asked, his expression turning serious.  
  
"I do," she confessed. "I think I'll finish my degree, although I'm still not sure what my major should be. I love politics, and I like making a difference, but I don't think I want to be a politician."  
  
"You could do something like your friend's dotcom."  
  
"I dunno," she shrugged. "Whenever I've thought about life after the White House, I've always imagined that I would remain your assistant."  
  
"I could live with that," he smiled winningly in response. "God knows I'd never be able to function without you."  
  
"What about you? What do you plan on doing four years from now?"  
  
He flipped the ring box over and over in his hand under the table, completely overcome by nerves. He wanted his proposal to be perfect. Was now the right time?  
  
"Well, I guess that will depend," he started, only to stop as he felt the small box slip from his grasp.  
  
"Damn," he muttered as he looked under the table. The box was no where in sight.  
  
"Josh?"  
  
"Uh, sorry," he fibbed with a nervous laugh. "I dropped my napkin." Without further ado, he slid from his chair and crouched on the floor, searching for the elusive box.  
  
He searched frantically beneath the table and his chair, cursing under his breath at the cruel jokes fate liked to play on him. Lucking out with his own table, he tried to casually look under the table closest to them, only to lose his balance and fall on his butt.  
  
"Josh?"  
  
"In a minute," he said, giving up on trying to be surreptitious. The older couple next to them looked at him warily as he crawled closer to their table.  
  
"Josh?"  
  
The whispery quality of her voice drug his attention away from his search. He turned to look at her, to explain his actions, only to fall on his bottom once again when he noticed the little box she was holding.  
  
"I. Uh." he said from the floor, his 760 verbal failing him once again. "I had this whole speech written out. For the life of me, I can't remember what it was now. You should be kinda impressed that I didn't get Toby or Will to help me with it, though."  
  
Donna opened the box and looked at the ring within. As soon as he had seen it, he had known that it had been designed for her. The silver band was etched with lilies, her favorite flower. The single round, one carat diamond was flanked by two quarter carat gems, giving it an understated elegance.  
  
"Josh," Donna whispered once again, her eyes filling up with tears.  
  
"I. What I'm doing four years from now will depend on you," he confessed. "Hopefully I'll be married to you, and that's all I'll need."  
  
He levered himself off the floor and kneeled in front of the teary Donna. He could feel the smirks of the old couple behind him but chose to ignore them.  
  
"Donna?" he whispered when she didn't say anything.  
  
He found himself on his back this time as she launched herself out of her chair and into his arms, toppling them both to the floor. The couples around them, who had been watching the scene play out, chuckled lightly at the stunned but happy look on the newly engaged couple's faces.  
  
Notes: You know, I had this whole romantic proposal written out for Josh and Donna. Then, I realized that this was Josh and Donna. What on Earth could happen to screw it up? One minute of Josh's nervous fiddling later, I had the idea of him dropping the box and having to crawl around to find it. And proposing while sprawled on the floor. Can't you see that? 


	6. Legacy

Author: Jo-Anne Storm  
  
Title: To Court a Lady  
  
Rating: PG-13 for a few choice words  
  
Disclaimer: The West Wing and all its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Production, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Spoilers: Up through Season 4.  
  
Summery: After a blow-up, Josh gets permission to date Donna.  
  
Notes: This is the last chapter I'm planning on writing for this series. This takes place over 10 years after Josh and Donna's wedding, and gives a bit of a glimpse into the lives of our favorite characters. I hope you enjoy it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Good evening, and welcome to 'On the Hill,'" Katie Reynolds greeted her television audience a moment after the lights rose in the studio. "Tonight I am pleased to be joined by White House Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman.  
  
"Welcome, Josh. How are you?"  
  
"I'm good, Katie."  
  
"To give a little background on Josh, he was the floor manager to the House minority whip, Chief of Staff for Congressman Earl Brennan, worked for three years in the Senate, and advised former Vice President John Hoynes during his bid for the Democratic nomination before joining the Bartlet campaign as political director. He served President Bartlet as Deputy Chief of Staff for five years before being elevated to Chief of Staff. After the Bartlet administration ended, Josh went on to work as then- Congressman Seaborn's Chief of Staff. Now, he has returned to the White House, this time under Seaborn.  
  
"Josh, one question I have to ask: you've had this amazing career in the background of the political arena. Have you ever thought of throwing your hat in?"  
  
Josh smiled winningly at Katie, his dimples flashing. "I can honestly say that I haven't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I think the best answer to that is something President Bartlet once said to me. He said something along the lines of 'Josh, you don't want to be the guy, you want to be the guy the guy depends on.' I know, that sounds confusing, doesn't it? What he meant was that I didn't want to be the guy in the spot light. I'm the guy in the back making sure that the things the guy in the spot light wants to happen actually happen."  
  
"So we won't be seeing Congressman Lyman after the Seaborn administration ends?"  
  
"You may, but I doubt that it'll be me."  
  
"What are your plans once President Seaborn's term is up?"  
  
"With any luck, that won't be for another six years. I'll cross that bridge when I get there."  
  
"So Seaborn will run for re-election?"  
  
"He hasn't made an official announcement yet, but yes, he plans on running again."  
  
"Alright," Katie said, turning to face the camera again. "When we come back, Josh will take your questions."  
  
The lights dimmed as she turned back towards her guest. "How're Donna and the kids?"  
  
"They're good. Donna's actually lurking around here somewhere, no doubt reorganizing some poor unsuspecting soul's filing cabinet."  
  
"You know you might get asked-"  
  
"Yeah, it's OK," he said with a sigh. We talked about it on the way here and decided that I would be completely candid. As long as the caller isn't too belligerent, I should do OK."  
  
"Back in five," a stage hand called.  
  
Katie put her "professional face" back on and turned towards the teleprompter just as the studio lightened once again.  
  
"Welcome back to 'On the Hill' with Katie Reynolds and guest Josh Lyman. Our first call is from Andy in Seattle. Andy, go ahead."  
  
"Hi, Katie, Josh. I wanted to ask what the president plans to do about the lack of trained police officers?"  
  
"Back at the West Wing our Communications Director, Will Bailey, and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Sonya Attwood, are drafting a piece of legislation that offers incentives for people to join the police force. It will be much like the teacher incentives proposed by the Bartlet administration, which proved to be a success."  
  
"Next on the line is Jarod from here in DC."  
  
"The Seaborn administration is a travesty," the man groused. "A whore- monger president, an unwed mother vice president, and every other piece of filth in that building just proves that there is something wrong with this country."  
  
Josh's jaw tensed but he said rather calmly, "Everyone has a right to their opinions. And the majority of the country expressed their opinion that President Seaborn and Vice President Wyatt were worthy of running the country."  
  
Katie quickly disconnected the call before Jarod could continue his tirade. "I think the press and the country has revisited past indiscretions enough. Moving on, we have Claudia from San Francisco."  
  
"So, what's the President's plan to fight inflation?"  
  
"Claudia Jean!" Josh cried happily. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm good. How are you liking being in front of the camera, Katie?"  
  
"It's a lot different than your Press Room. Folks, on the line is CJ Cregg, former Press Secretary for President Bartlet. CJ, welcome."  
  
"Thanks, Katie. So, Joshua?"  
  
"There is no definite plan to fight inflation at this moment. I can assure you that the country's top economists are working on how to battle the problem. I can also assure you, CJ, that Greg shares your opinion that I should not be allowed anywhere near the Press Room."  
  
CJ laughed before excusing herself from the call, stating that she was sure that other people had questions for him.  
  
"Steve from Nashville, your question."  
  
The next hour of the two hour program continued in this vein. A few of the callers had beefs with the administration or with government in general, but the majority had legitimate questions about how things worked in Washington or about specific legislation. The question he had been dreading came before the last commercial break.  
  
"Josh, has the death of your daughter caused you to influence Congress to file more funding into cancer research?"  
  
Josh drew in a lungful of air and held it for a moment before expelling it in a rush. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Donna hovering worriedly. He shot his wife a reassuring smile and spoke seriously.  
  
"There's an old saying that no parent should outlive their children. I've learned the truth of that better than I ever wanted to. However, the US donated thirty million to cancer research last year alone. That thirty million helped save the lives of thousands of people. I regret that Jessica wasn't one of the people that the research couldn't help.  
  
"Do I push legislation funding cancer research? You know, I probably do. But I have also donated $200,000 of my own money to the cause. I did it because last month several little girls died of a terrible disease and not all of their parents could afford to help fund research."  
  
"How is your family holding up in the aftermath of her death?"  
  
We're. Getting better. There's a hole in my heart where she once stood. That hole will never heal, not fully. I thank God for every day that he allowed her to stay in our lives, and I thank God every day for my wife and sons."  
  
"How are the boys?"  
  
"They're great. My eldest, JL, who is ten, wants to play for the Mets. Colin wants to be a paleoanthropologist. He can't even pronounce it, but he wants to be one."  
  
"You must be very proud of them."  
  
Josh nodded. "You know, before I got married or had kids, I thought that my political successes would be the legacy I left behind. Now, I know that everything I did before, everything I'll do after pales in comparison to being part of a family."  
  
"And we'll be back in a moment."  
  
The lights dimmed once again and Donna hurried over from her position on the sidelines. "You OK?"  
  
"Yeah. Hey, Katie, do you-"  
  
"No. Go, give your kids a hug."  
  
Josh nodded gratefully and stepped off the stage with his arm around Donna's shoulders, both giving and taking strength. Katie watched as he detangled himself from the clip-on microphone and then as they traversed the sea of cables in the studio.  
  
"Welcome back," Katie said once the lights had come back on. "I want to thank White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman once again for taking time out of his busy schedule to sit with us tonight. Please join me next week when will welcome Majority Leader Richard Shultz as well as freshman Senator Charles Young. Have a good night."  
  
"And. We're out!" the stage hand called. 


End file.
